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Egg & embryo donation explained

You’ve heard of sperm donation, but what happens when you need an egg? Here’s what you need to know.

At a glance

Almost four per cent of pregnancies in Australia are produced by donor eggs.

Couples might be after donor eggs and embryos for a number of reasons including compromising genetic conditions and poor egg quality.

In Australia donors are purely altruistic, with laws preventing them from being paid.

Sometimes having a baby just isn’t straightforward. It might be that there are issues on the male side or the female side, medical complications or a same-sex couple who require assistance to achieve their dream of having a baby.

“Almost four per cent of pregnancies in Australia are produced by donor eggs and embryos,” explains leading Sydney fertility and IVF specialist Dr Shadi Khasaba. “It’s becoming more and more common and accepted.”

Yet, due to Australia’s non-commercialisation of the industry – meaning you can’t pay someone to give you an egg – if couples don’t have a friend or family member willing to donate for them, tracking down a fitting donor can be a process. A fertility clinic can help.

Egg vs embryo donation: what’s the difference?

With both practices offered at fertility clinics, the main thing to note when considering donor egg or embryo insemination is whether you are after sperm or not. Dr Khasaba simplifies the difference between the two.

“Egg donation uses unfertilised eggs which means you can use your partner’s sperm, whereas embryo donation uses already created embryos ready to go into the uterus without using any sperm,” he explains.

So embryo donation may be the obvious choice for singles or couples facing unexplained or male infertility, and egg surrogacy might work for those who have access to healthy, viable sperm.

“We do have a bank of donors but the numbers are very limited,” explains Dr Khasaba. “First we refer patients to our donor coordinator team, meet with them and understand their needs to organise where to start from.”